A pregnant woman ended up with a football-sized cyst heavier than her unborn child after doctors let it keep growing inside her.

The enormous growth twisted around Francesca Tomlinson’s ovary twice, leaving her in excruciating pain and struggling for breath.

Just 22 at the time, Francesca was terrified she was losing her baby, and was rushed to hospital where she underwent emergency surgery to remove the 8lb 9oz cyst which was that big her daughter had no room to move.

Thankfully the foetus was unharmed, but the young mum lost her right ovary and fallopian tube, and with damage to her other ovary, was told she may never be able to have more children.

Four years after her horrendous ordeal, Francesca, 26, has now been awarded a £15,000 damages settlement by Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which runs Saint Mary’s Hospital, where she was cared for during the pregnancy.

Hudgell Solicitors, acting on behalf of Francesca, said that doctors had been aware of the cyst and its rapid growth for two months prior and had been monitoring it.

They argued that a plan to manage it should have been put in place, and that it should have been drained in early pregnancy to prevent complications.

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Francesca, who lives in Oldham, gave birth to Gracie-Jane prematurely six months later in May 2013, weighing just 5lb 15oz, and despite being told she may not be able to have any more children, six months later she fell pregnant again with Amelia-Rose, now two-and-a-half.

The mum said she had trusted specialists at Saint Mary’s to treat the cyst properly and that instead she was repeatedly sent home with painkillers for the pain.

The morning she was rushed to hospital, she told the ambulance crew to take her to Tameside hospital instead, because she had lost faith in Saint Mary’s.

Francesca Tomlinson (Image: Handout)

She added: “When I got there and saw the consultant he said there was no need to scan me and that he could tell I needed an operation immediately. They couldn’t understand why the cyst hadn’t been drained, and even then they couldn’t find details of it in my medical notes.”

Richard Beschizza, Litigation Assistant at Hudgell Solicitors, said: “This was shocking treatment and a complete failure to treat our client in the appropriate way. It ended with her being rushed into hospital for an emergency operation which was completely avoidable.”

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He added: “We are glad that the trust has now offered this damages settlement, which Francesca has accepted, and obviously we were delighted that not only was Gracie-Jane unharmed, but also that she and her partner David went on to have another daughter, Amelia-Rose.

“I am sure Francesca would also have liked an apology for what she went through, and admissions of errors from those involved, but hopefully the damages settlement goes some way to compensate for her pain and suffering.”

Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been approached for comment.